In a Writing Rut? The Power of Mixing It Up

image by Steinar Engeland via Unsplash

Today, I’m throwing my established schedule into the air like a lot of pixie sticks, and letting all the Stuff I Gotta Do fall where it may.  

Well, within reason. I’m still showing up for my 8:00-9:00 am writing time, since other people are depending on me to be there to turn on the Zoom call. I also still have other work I’m scheduled for at specific times.  

But, external obligations aside, I’m mixing things up a little.  

Why? 

Well, it’s fun. Granted, it’s lower on the excitement scale than say, bungee-jumping, but there’s a sense of hey, I’m not quite sure what’s next that mimics creative activity itself. With a slightly naughty frisson of I don’t have to do what I’m usually doing right now we get at any break in the expected routine.  

A lot of writing advice centers around the idea of creating a schedule, and sticking to it. This is generally good advice, since many writers have a problem with maintaining a consistent writing schedule. Hoping you’ll find time in the day when you feel like writing is not a good plan for actually doing the writing. 

However, being in a rut is also a thing. While the mind can benefit from routine (the Muse learns to show up at that time) it can also get bored. You may have experienced the dullness, lack of ideas, or general reluctance to do anything when you do the same thing at the same time every day. Changing it up brings a breath of fresh air and new energy.  

It doesn’t have to be a dramatic change. If your normally write in your journal before settling down to “serious” writing, take a short walk instead. Write in your journal later. Try meditating, intention-setting, dancing. Just five minutes can shake out the cobwebs.  

Normally a morning writer? Try writing in the evening. I know, I know... but see what comes up. Write at lunch.  

Or if, like me, your writing is scheduled at a particular time you can’t change, mix up the other things around it, or in other parts of your day. For me, that means journaling first instead of working out. Or taking a walk before doing my reading from a craft book. Maybe I’ll break my writing time into two shorter times today,     

Of course, you might also change things up by writing something different. Fiction writers can try poetry. Nonfiction writers can try a screenplay. Writing prompts or exercises are a great way to play with your writing. Doing something you don’t take seriously allows writing to be fun again, which can shake you out of a dull rut.   

I have changes regularly baked into my schedule. For example, from June-August, I have to exercise first thing, or it becomes too hot to do it. In winter, only the promise of a hot cup of coffee and curling up with my journal will lure me out of bed in the dark. I usually do something, in other words, to transition into writing, rather than starting cold. Warming up my body or my brain helps! 

I also use the technique I call a Writing Blast, where I set alarms several times during the day for quick writing sprints. No more than 15 minutes long, these force me to break from whatever I’m doing and write for that time. At first I was skeptical: how can you get anything meaningful done in that time? Weirdly, it works. My brain unconsciously stews on the writing, and I often surprise myself at what comes out. Then I get up when my time is up, and the brain keeps going until next time the alarm goes off – by which time I’m dying to get back to the page. Yes, it’s a little jarring, but that’s precisely the point: by randomizing and minimizing your writing time, you’re forcing the brain to jump out of its usual neural pathways. The trick is for that writing time to be sacrosanct, so be sure to set the alarms when you are least likely to be interrupted.  

If you’re feeling like you’re in a writing or creative rut, try some of these techniques. Or maybe you have others that work for you – if so, please share them in the comments!